Alberta introduced Bill 201 – Employment Standards (Protecting Workers’ Pay) Amendment Act, proposing incremental increases to the province’s minimum wage of $1 per year for three years, a clear definition and protection of tips and gratuities, and youth and student wage equality.
The following chart summarizes the potential minimum wage increase.
| Current minimum wage rate | December 15, 2025 | October 1, 2026 | October 1, 2027 |
| $15.00 | $16.00 | $17.00 | $18.00 |
Definition and Protection of Tips and Gratuities
A new Division (4.1) was added to the Employment Standards Code to clearly define and protect employee tips and gratuities.
- Tips are recognized as the property of the employee.
- Employers cannot withhold, deduct or treat tips as wages, except as permitted by law or a court order.
- Pooling agreements are allowed among employees (and optionally with employers who perform similar work), but these must be in writing and specify how tips are redistributed.
Youth and Student Wage Equality
The Act prohibits establishing lower minimum wage classes based on age or secondary school enrollment, except for approved educational work placements that provide course credit or similar benefits.